MattRs 2016 Build Thread

[MattR]

INTRO: First a little introduction, my names Matt I’m from Upstate NY. I figured if there’s ever a place to post a build thread this is it. I’m sure it’s swamped with them but they’re all unique so I figured I might as well have a spot for mine so here goes. I’ll try to post in chunks to get you up to speed then update from there so it’ll be easier to follow.
TRUCK: 2016 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi and 3.92 gears.
“END” GOAL: A cammed and tuned street beast/daily driver. (Going Jay Greene route)
BACK STORY: I’ve never really got into modding on my past vehicles but this being my realistic dream vehicle I felt the urge to really customize it how I want it since I’ll be driving it into the ground.

I figure this is a good way to get to know me more and provide insight into some mods as I have done most of these myself.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to post them

 

[MattR]

First was Brushguard, Tailight Guards, AF Dynamic Intake, Flowmaster American Thunder Muffler, Husky All weather mats, and Seat covers.
First on the list was a Brushguard that had solid coverage and went over the headlights. I also installed tailight guards but as you’ll see I took them off as I didn’t end up liking them like I thought.
Not Pictured: Flowmaster Muffler to waken up that sweet Hemi rumble. Aftermarket intake for higher flow (which I found through research actually doesn’t matter and stock is pretty good) and increased intake sound. Also Floor mats and dark red faux leather seat covers.

 

[MattR]

Second was Black Sidesteps.
Eventually I wanted to work towards exchanging all the chrome to black. So I took extra bedliner spray laying around and decided to try it out on my sidesteps which worked... for a few weeks before peeling as I suspected but with no extra funds it helped with the envision of less chrome and more black and I was hooked.
This is also around the time I tried my tow mirrors out and was surprised by how much better I could see.

 

[MattR]

Third was Tint, and plastidipped rear emblem.
It kinda fell into my lap. I was back and forth on tinting it and a local small business posted a special in a group I was in and I couldn’t resist.
Ended up matching the front windows to the factory rears and getting all 3 tailights a medium tint. It all came out way better than I expected and I was stoked about it! Shortly after, I plastidipped the rear emblem as part of my blacking out.

 

[MattR]

Fourth Black Emblems.
I caught a deal on eBay for a set of black emblems for the sides. I originally planned on debadging it but after extensive research and photos and chats with the wife, we decided black ones would be best. Put some music on, grabbed a chair and blasted these out. I like how they came out and despite being put on in the cold I used a heat gun and they’ve stuck on solid since.

 

[MattR]

Fifth was a big one, Rough Country 3” lift and level.
I ended up going to a friends shop for this since having a lift seemed a lot better than using jack stands in my driveway, and I’m glad I went that route in the end. Pain in the butt is the lightest way I could put it. Took hours of struggling probably due to the fact of original 2016 struts in NY weather all those years. But! Got it done and so far no complaints, it rides I’d say damn near as smooth as before. I LOVE the look of it and feel being in it.
All in all it was well worth it but if I were to do it again I’d either use new struts or go a different route and get the Bilsteins 5100s.

 

[MattR]

Sixth (also a kinda big one) was Vararam Intake, Moes 87mm Ported Throttle Body, UPR Catch Can, and Diablosport i3 Intune Platinum Tuner.
I lumped these together since they happened about the same time. First was the tuner and since a big goal was a cam and tune from Jay Greene I knew I needed a tuner. So I chatted with him and he came up with a couple and I ended up choosing this one. The PCM swap with Diablosport was flawless and helped save a lot of money. I didn’t really get it for them but the canned tunes aren’t terrible and it’s nice being able to turn off MDS and adjust other parameters.
Second was the intake and TB. Those I stumbled upon on Facebook marketplace where a local was trading in his truck so he had them posted up. I snagged them both for $300 for both whereas brand new they run ~$380 each so I had to jump on that deal.
And third was the catch can. During research on mods I stumbled across them and found out how much they helped out. I didn’t want to cheap out so I snagged a UPR one and was surprised with how much it actually caught.

 

[MattR]

Seventh I installed 1.5” hubcentric wheel spacers, a Shorty antenna, and blacked the exhaust tips.
I ended up going with wheel spacers because I wanted the more aggressive look but I didn’t want anything too dramatic so I went with 1.5”.
A Shorty antenna to swap that giant chrome whip for a sleek black one. I either use satellite radio or Bluetooth so radio reception wasn’t a concern for me.
And sanded and painted my chrome exhaust tips black to add to my chrome to black conversion.

 

[MattR]

Eighth- two bigger ones, AMP powered side steps and Truxedo Lopro Tonneau cover.
Saved up for the AMP powered steps and couldn’t wait for warmer weather and installed them in 4 degree weather in my driveway cause I’m a stubborn idiot. But install went well besides being freezing and I love how they tuck away, are wider, and extend lower than my previous steps which helps with the lift and strapping my baby in the backseat.
I did notice they got caught on the small black plastic piece right behind the front wheel. No problem I popped them off and plan on trimming them and reinstalling them.
A few weeks after that/This past weekend is when I got the Tonneau cover. Install was quick and simple on that. It was tough finding ones that work with the Ram boxes and didn’t cost $1,000 plus. I kinda was leaning towards a trifold but there was a sale on this Lopro soft one and I couldn’t pass it up. I like how low it sits and how sleek it makes the bed.

 

[MattR]

So that brings it up current to this date. These have been performed since buying the truck in September 2019. I’d post a list of future mods I have planned but I figure it’s easier to just update this thread as I install them. Like I said earlier the big end game is a Cam and Tune from Jay Greene and ARH headers.

 

[cam101]

Welcome to the forum and nice upgrades. Stay warm and look forward to your next mod.

 

[McBroom]

Welcome Aboard from Denison Tx
Awesome truck

Black 20 Ram

 

[MattR]

Thanks guys! Loving this forum and all the information I’m collecting from it.

 

[MattR]

Ninth- Installed headlights with black housing and LED lights for the headlights and fog lights.

I ended up with the black housing because I wanted the tinted look without sacrificing visibility. I was happy with how easy and quick it was to pop out the headlights and swap them over and changing the fog light bulbs was a breeze too. Also without changing anything I have not noticed any flickering yet so that’s a big plus but I’ll have to wait and see if it becomes an issue later.
Now to figure out what I want to do with the fog lights to match.

 

[MattR]

Also to be noted I changed my oil today and this is the first time since installing the catch can so I emptied that as well. And golly the stuff that it collected blew my mind! I see why these trucks really need those, mine was about 3/4 full. I can’t believe all that would’ve made it into the top of the engine. I absolutely recommend installing one of those probably as one of, if not first, your first mods. It’s a cheap and simple mod to do and your engine will thank you.

 

[MattR]

Tenth- Tailgate slot cover, Centrifugal wheel balancers, Wheels and tires.
-This is a bigger one since I figured I’d wait and post when I got a few done.

-Tailgate slot cover, got off Amazon and use E6000 as extra bonding so it’d hold even better to the bedliner.

-Wheel balancers, got these from a company called Balance Masters. Stumbled upon this style from research on this forum of balance beads. These are really cool and constantly keep the wheel in balance for the life of the vehicle and remove the need for wheel weights.

-Wheels and Tires, I wanted something different from the usual black or chrome. Loved these bronze ones and loved the price even more. Was gonna hold off on tires but I figured why not I’ve got new wheels might as well get the tires I want. So I slapped some Falken Wildpeak at3ws on them and so far they are holding up to the hype. They performed incredible on the wet roads today and the slight mud I was in for a little.

 

[MattR]

11th- Engine cover, Door Handle Covers, and Wireless Cab Lights. It’s been a while but I wanted to wait til I had a few more things done to make it worth it.

Engine Cover- ordered them from 3gcustomz and painted them. Only put the left side on since that was most open and the right was well hidden and hard to get it positioned so I just stuck with the left.

Gloss Black Handle Covers- the handles just seemed faded and off color compared to the rest of the truck so I figured some gloss black covers would help. Just got basic ones off Amazon and I’m happy with how they turned out. Wouldn’t recommend putting them over chrome since you can still see parts of the old handle underneath them but the black blends in well enough for me.

Wireless Cab Lights- Saw a bit of mixed reviews on these but wanted the look and functionality of cab lights but wasn’t keen on drilling into my roof so these were pretty much the only option I found. Just finished installing them today and they work well so far. Will have to see how they hold up and how they look at night.

Other than maybe a decal or two the outside look is pretty much where my goal was at and I learned a lot along the way and am very pleased with how it came out. A few big things left on my list like the cam/tune/headers but that’s down the road a bit. Will update as I add more in the future.